Unit 3 AP Gov (Chapters 9-13)

Clear and Present Danger

A legal doctrine that allows the government to restrict speech if it poses an immediate threat to public safety or national security (Schenck v. United States, 1919).

Due Process Clause

A provision in the 5th and 14th Amendments that guarantees fair legal procedures before the government can deprive a person of life, liberty, or property.

Equal Protection Under Law

A principle in the 14th Amendment requiring that laws be applied equally to all people, preventing discriminatory treatment by the government.

Establishment Clause

A part of the 1st Amendment that prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or favoring one religion over another.

Freedom of Expression

The right to express ideas and opinions through speech, writing, and other forms of communication, protected under the 1st Amendment.

Free Exercise Clause

A part of the 1st Amendment that protects individuals' rights to practice their religion freely, as long as it does not violate public safety or laws.

Libel

A written false statement that damages a person's reputation, which is not protected under the 1st Amendment.

Prior Restraint

Government censorship of speech or media before it is published, generally prohibited under the 1st Amendment (New York Times v. United States, 1971).

Public Safety

The welfare and protection of the general public, often used as a justification for limiting certain individual rights.

Slander

A spoken false statement that harms a person’s reputation, similar to libel but in verbal form.

Symbolic Speech

Nonverbal communication, such as protests, flag burning, or armbands, that conveys a political message and is protected under the 1st Amendment (Tinker v. Des Moines, 1969).

Exclusionary Rule

A legal principle that prohibits evidence obtained illegally (without a proper warrant or violating constitutional rights) from being used in court (Mapp v. Ohio, 1961).

Good-Faith Exception

An exception to the exclusionary rule that allows evidence to be used in court if law enforcement officers acted with the belief that they were following legal procedures (United States v. Leon, 1984).

Selective Incorporation

The process by which the Supreme Court applies certain protections from the Bill of Rights to state governments through the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause (Gitlow v. New York, 1925).

Civil Disobedience

The active, nonviolent refusal to obey certain laws or governmental demands, typically as a form of protest against injustice.

Civil Rights

The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality, often referring to protections against discrimination based on race, gender, or other characteristics.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment, public accommodations, and federally funded programs.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation that occurs in practice, even if not required by law, such as through housing patterns or social practices.

De Jure Segregation

Legal or official segregation enforced by law, such as in schools or public facilities, often associated with the Jim Crow era.

Poll Tax

A tax levied as a prerequisite for voting, often used in the past to disenfranchise African Americans and poor voters, banned by the 24th Amendment.

Separate but Equal Doctrine

A legal doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that allowed racial segregation as long as facilities for both races were equal, later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Suspect Classification

Categories of discrimination (such as race or ethnicity) that are subject to strict scrutiny by the courts because they are often linked to historical prejudice.

Title IX

A federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Landmark legislation that aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting, including the elimination of literacy tests and other barriers, and provides federal oversight in areas with a history of voter suppression.

White Primary

A practice in which political parties in the South restricted voting to white citizens only, effectively disenfranchising African American voters until it was ruled unconstitutional in Smith v. Allwright (1944).

Comparable Worth

The principle that individuals should be paid equally for work that is of equal value, even if the jobs are different, often used to address gender wage gaps.

Equality of Opportunity

The belief that all individuals should have the same chances to succeed, regardless of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics.

Affirmative Action

Policies or practices designed to promote opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups, often by considering race, gender, or ethnicity in admissions, hiring, or promotion decisions.

Equal Protection Clause

A provision in the 14th Amendment that requires states to provide equal protection under the law to all people within their jurisdiction, often used to challenge discrimination.

Majority-Minority District

A congressional district created to ensure that a majority of the population is from a minority group, often used to enhance minority representation in government.

Separate but Equal

A doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that allowed racial segregation in public facilities as long as the facilities for both races were equal, later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education (1954).